Almond Banana Bread

I like a good banana bread like the next person but I also like to mix it up hence the creation of this almond banana bread. Admittedly this only came about because I still had ground almonds in the freezer and decided it was time to use them up. Almond banana bread is very similar to my go to banana bread recipe but has a really lovely warm and nutty flavour.

This recipe is a great example of using what you have available before going to the shops. Don’t have almond flour then why not try hazelnuts or other nuts you may have on hand? If you have an apple which needs to be used up you have also finely dice it and add it to the recipe. You can also use cinnamon instead of nutmeg and white sugar instead of brown. Don’t let a recipe turn you off just because you are “missing” an ingredient. Sometimes it is fun to experiment and discover something new while cleaning out your cupboards.

Almond Banana Bread Recipe

4 bananas, ripe (brown and spotty is king)

1 tsp baking powder

200gr almond flour

50gr whole wheat flour

50gr brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract with seeds

1 egg

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Mash the bananas and baking powder together and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Some chunks are fine if you wish. Add in the other ingredients and mix until just blended. Pour into a parchment lined loaf pan and bake at 180c for 55 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Notes:

Use ripe bananas. When a banana ripens the starch is converted to sugar which is why this recipe does not contain much sugar or added fats because the ripe bananas “replace” the required sugar and fat. If you are single or want to keep this on hand for take along snacks cut the loaf into 1 cm slices and freeze. When needed you can pop them out of the freezer and let thaw. I actually do this with a lot of the cakes and breads I bake because it makes them last longer.

If you want to make this a gluten free recipe then just substitute the wholewheat flour with your favourite gluten free alternative. The great thing about banana bread is that it is very forgiving.

I decorated my banana bread by cutting a banana length wise and laying it on top and then sprinkled some brown sugar on top. You can also decorate with almonds or leave it as is.